Oostakker

Oostakker
Sub-municipality of Ghent
Oostakker Basilica
Location of Oostakker
Location of Oostakker in Ghent
Oostakker Show map of Belgium Oostakker Show map of East Flanders
Coordinates: 51°06′01″N 3°45′48″E / 51.10028°N 3.76333°E / 51.10028; 3.76333
Country	Belgium
Community	Flemish Community
Region	Flemish Region
Province	East Flanders
Arrondissement	Ghent
Municipality	Ghent
Area
• Total	10.47 km2 (4.04 sq mi)
Population  (2020-01-01)
• Total	14,074
• Density	1,300/km2 (3,500/sq mi)
Postal codes	9041
Area codes	09

Oostakker (Dutch pronunciation: [ˈoːstˌɑkər] ^ⓘ; formerly spelled Oostacker) is a sub-municipality of the city of Ghent located in the province of East Flanders, Flemish Region, Belgium. It was a separate municipality until 1977. In 1872, Sint-Amandsberg was detached from Oostakker. In 1900, 1920 and 1927, parts of the original municipality were already annexed to Ghent.^[1] On 1 January 1977, the municipality of Oostakker was merged into Ghent.^[2]

The hamlet is mainly known for the Shrine of Oostakker, a Roman Catholic shrine of the Virgin Mary. Residents of Oostakker are called Oostakkezen.

The miraculous shrine of the Blessed Virgin is a place of pilgrimage from Belgium, the Netherlands and Northern France. It is a comparatively recent, dating from 1873 dating from a statue in a grotto built by the local gentry family.^[3] It was first opened to the local peasants on Sundays, but comparatively quickly it became very popular with a large Gothic church starting to be built in 1877. The shrine was entrusted to the Jesuits.

• 
  Oostakker Basilica.
• 
  Church of Saint Amand.

•  This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: Herbermann, Charles, ed. (1913). "Shrine of Oostacker". Catholic Encyclopedia. New York: Robert Appleton Company.

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